To call the HM4 a watch is like saying an aircraft carrier is a boat. Of course the HM4—short for Horological Machine No. 4—tells time, but it is far more than a mere timepiece and ultimately reflects the creative genius of its creator, Maximilian Büsser, and his team at MB&F, the Swiss watchmaker.

Mention that you’re going to the Balearic Islands and you might get a quizzical look, as the archipelago’s four largest islands are better known by their individual names. Most famous is Mallorca (or Majorca, if you choose the Spanish rather than the Catalan spelling). The others are Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera. They are all part of Spain and lie in the Mediterranean Sea, between the Spanish mainland and Africa.